The second day of the Tribeca TV Festival saw the cast of Will & Grace (Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally) reunite for a surprise screening of the first episode of the new season.  Stars like Ben McKenzie, Ryan Hansen, Samira Wiley, Patrick J. Adams and Joanne Froggatt also made appearances at the inaugural event at the Cinepolis Theater in Chelsea.

The Tribeca TV Festival, presented by AT&T, brings people together to discover and celebrate episodic storytelling on any screen – from TV to online, mobile to VR. The inaugural event, created by Tribeca Enterprises, parent company of the Tribeca Film Festival, is an extension of Tribeca’s April TV program into a standalone fall TV Festival and is the first dedicated TV festival created by a film festival. Tribeca TV runs September 22-24, 2017 in New York City.

Tribeca has a great tradition of introducing audiences to critically acclaimed and commercially successful episodic shows including The Night Of (HBO), The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu), The Night Manager (AMC), Genius (National Geographic), Mr. Robot (USA Network), Roots (History); debuted new seasons and sneaked special episodes of returning fan favorites like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix), Broad City (Comedy Central), Grace and Frankie(Netflix); hosted special event screenings for programs like O.J.: Made in America (ESPN Films); and brought cast and filmmakers together for one-night-only conversations celebrating TV milestones such as the finale of The Good Wife (CBS) and the 15th anniversary of Six Feet Under’s (HBO) final episode.

(L-R) Eric McCormack, Megan Mullally, Debra Messing and Sean Hayes attend the Tribeca TV Festival exclusive celebration for Will & Grace

Will & Grace

Will & Grace Co-creators and Executive Producers Max Mutchnick and David Kohan surprised the packed audience by screening the first episode of their highly-anticipated new season. Following the politically-charged episode, Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally took to the stage to preview what’s to come this season, including a relationship between Karen Walker and the Trumps, Jack’s new acting technique called Jack-ting, a business venture between Will and Grace, and the return of Beverly Leslie. Messing also discussed their fresh approach to LGBTQ topics and gender fluidity. They noted that despite the notoriety of the series, their stardom is still lost on some, with Mullally being mistaken for Julia Louis-Dreyfus and McCormack being mistaken for a Friends star.
View the livestream here

(L-R) Erin Richards, Robin Lord Taylor, Jessica Lucas and Ben McKenzie attend the Tribeca TV Festival sneak peek of Gotham

Gotham

Following the series sneak peek, cast members Ben McKenzie, Robin Lord Taylor, Jessica Lucas and Erin Richards joined Executive Producer Danny Cannon to talk about what audiences can expect in the shadowy world of Gotham City this year.  McKenzie discussed his experience writing an episode, remarking, “I found writing my own dialogue harder than anyone else’s,” but thought Harvey Bullock’s dialogue was the easiest to write.

Revealing an entirely new chapter in the rise of the great DC Super-Villains, Gotham follows one cop as he navigates a dangerously corrupt city, and chronicles the birth of one of the most popular superheroes of our time. Season Four will witness the emergence of the criminal landscape Gotham City is best known for, with Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) at the forefront of the fight against the most depraved and unhinged villains. While Gotham City fights for normalcy, a new hero will rise, as Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) begins to assume responsibility for the city’s well-being.
View the livestream here

Pillow Talk
Patrick J. Adams joined Creators Mike Piscitelli and Writer Rachael Taylor to talk about sex, literally. Adams compared the show to The Sopranos, noting his character is as flawed and unlikable as Tony Soprano.
View the livestream here

Liar
Joanne Froggatt and Creators Jack Williams and Harry Williams discussed the twists and turns in the series, which follows the volatile aftermath of a seemingly innocent date. Froggatt discusses the similarities and differences between this character and her character on Downton Abbey, both of whom deal with rape.
View the livestream here

Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television

Ryan Hansen playing himself again is his hardest role yet. He is even able to make Kevin Hart break character.  Thanking YouTube Red for being “cool enough to make fun of themselves,” stars Ryan Hansen and Samira Wiley talked about how fun it was to be on set together. The costars also bragged about the amazing cameos, from Jon Cryer to Donald Faison and Kristen Bell, among others. They also teased that Veronica Mars reunion could be in the works…
View the livestream here

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